Working through the Davis mega-deal

Baltimore Orioles' Chris Davis watches his two-run home run in the seventh inning of an interleague baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, May 29, 2013, in Baltimore.(Photo: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

History was made this past weekend when the Orioles signed Chris Davis to a huge $161 million deal that will keep the lefty slugger in orange and black for the next seven seasons.

Birdland responded as Birdland does after begging for money to be spent in the offseason — by complaining moments later. Don’t worry, I was right there with you working through the motions.

Excitement for a hero

Waking up to the news of Davis’ contract provoked a whirlwind of excitement for me, knowing that the return of Crush helps the Orioles’ needs while retaining one of the city’s favorite players.

Baltimore had a righty-heavy lineup before the Davis signing, a major issue for match-up king Buck Showalter, one of the craftiest managers in the league. Davis also brings a bit of versatility, being able to play near Gold Glove caliber defense at first along with serviceable right field and third.

Off the field, Davis keeps a core of players together that keep the organization fresh and should provide stability in the clubhouse. Aside from early career issues and the slight problem of forgetting to get an Adderall extension, there has yet to be any negative light on Davis.

There was no doubt that Baltimore was the right fit for Davis all along.

We spent how much?

About two minutes into your excitement, though, you started looking at the numbers and details: $161 million for seven years with no opt out for the club, the fifth highest-ever for a first baseman.

Davis now owns the richest contract in Orioles history — more than clubhouse leader Adam Jones’ $85.5 million six-year extension, more than Sammy Sosa’s $17.9 million miserable year (sorry for bringing it up) and $51 million more than legend Cal Ripken Jr. made in his entire career when adjusted for inflation.

In the next few days, more info trickled out about the contract that eased some worry amongst the fan base. Thanks to deferred payments, the actual valuation of Davis’ deal is less than the $161 million it seems. Orioles management values the pact at $127.5 million in today’s money, with Crush being paid until 2037 instead of just until 2021.

Not only does this free up money for the Orioles, it also allows Davis to be paid in his home state of Texas upon retirement, where there is no income tax.

Filling the roster holes

Now that the Orioles have gotten their main target after months of finagling financials with Scott Boras, they can finally start shopping the free agent market with the money “saved” from Davis’ deferred payments.

The top name that comes up right now is former Nationals righty Doug Fister, who is seeking a 2-year, $22 million contract after being relegated from his starting position late in the year. Adding Fister would be another righty in the rotation, but would at the least give a veteran presence and a fallback for youngsters Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman.

Another option for the Orioles is the more expensive Yovani Gallardo, who has had a staggering drop in strikeout rate during the past few years from his career average of 8.2 K/9 to 5.9 K/9 — not something you want in a hitter’s park.

In addition to pitching woes, there is still a need for a full-time outfielder, with many still pushing for Yoenis Cespedes despite the massive price tag. If Baltimore can’t come to terms with an outfielder, they’ll be looking to pluck Xavier Avery from AAA Norfolk or have full trust in Dariel Alvarez, LJ Hoes and Henry Urrutia.

Heading into the future

Re-signing Davis bodes well for the Orioles of now, but puts a question mark on the future of the organization on both the Major and Minor League levels.

The Orioles currently have one of the best infields in the show thanks to Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop, who are still making pennies compared to their production. With so much money locked up into first base now, the Orioles will likely have one of the most expensive infields in history if both stay.

The contract also was likely a blow to both now roster-blocked Trey Mancini and Christian Walker, who have combined to be possibly the best first base/designated hitter tandem in AAA ball. It has been tossed around for both to attempt to play outfield, but after following both players from their start at Delmarva, they will likely end up being trade bait to a team needing help at first.

It’s been OK to panic with the first-ever $100+ million contract coming to Baltimore. It’s scary, but you’ll get through it — just be excited for the couple hundred more home runs coming from one guy during the next few years and it’ll all be fine.